good in theory, yet i beg to differ on the farmers usage ...

New Democrat MP wants total ban on non-essential pesticide use
April 25, 2006

OTTAWA (CP) - A New Democrat MP is advocating a total ban on non-essential use of pesticides in Canada. ... he claims users tend to pile on pesticides to a much greater degree than farmers do in agricultural applications ...

New Democrat MP wants total ban on non-essential pesticide use
April 25, 2006

OTTAWA (CP) - A New Democrat MP is advocating a total ban on non-essential use of pesticides in Canada.

Pat Martin of Winnipeg is introducing a private-member's bill in the House of Commons that would impose a national moratorium on cosmetic use of the potentially unhealthy chemicals.

Martin says recent studies indicate some lawn-garden chemicals are more threatening to people - especially children and pregnant women - than animal-based studies suggest.

About 90 Canadian municipalities have already banned the non-essential use of pesticides.

Nevertheless, Martin says more than 50 million kilograms of pesticides are still used in Canada each year, 35 to 50 per cent of them on lawns, parks and golf courses, where he claims users tend to pile on pesticides to a much greater degree than farmers do in agricultural applications.

Martin says his long-overdue bill would put the onus on manufacturers rather than governments to prove their products are safe.